Pursuit of Poetry:
Ms. Campbell's Class

[On November 3, Ms. Campbell's 7th grade class at Willard Jr. High in Berkeley, California wrote a poem in response to a poem by the Emperor Kangxi. The class was preparing to visit The Oakland Museum's exhibit, "Secret World of the Forbidden City: Splendors from China's Imperial Palace."]

I am—

My art is as great as the chameleon
      who paints his own life

I am the agile fox running through a meadow.

I am the wise owl who holds court in his tree.

I am the quick cheetah
      in basketball. When I crossover
you won't see it.

I am the slow sloth climbing
      to the top
              of the tree.

I am the fast leopard chasing after its prey.

I am the sly and neat tiger.
     The carefulness of my hand writing is as
          sly as my handwriting.

My hair is as long           as a redwood tree.
My hair is as long           as a roar of a lion.

I am the cheetah
rolling through the forest.
When I look back I see days of work
     gone fast.
Give close look to slide on through.
That is why I am cheetah,
so fast—so don't touch me or
             find yourself gone.

I am the active polar bear
    in winter
         trying to get food.

I'm the strong bear taking down his enemy.

I am able to take hits and hit others
     in ice hockey, a grizzly bear
that can tear down a house.

I am the tough porcupine
     who can survive
     the winter.

I am the graceful swan
                                 floating
                                            across a pond.

I am the graceful swan in early mornng breeze as
its wings spread so gracefully,
   as the smooth air ruffles her wings
               with love and pride.

I am the patient cat
                           waiting
for dinner to come by.

I am the patient mother hen
         waiting
for her young to hatch.

I am the wise owl
who can solve
                       any problem.

I am the curious monkey.

I am the wind, calm and peaceful.
I am the great grizzly bear,
                                  rough and arrogant.
I am the sun, bright and warm.

I am the confident lion that roars
through the savannas.
I speak; it releases
as a roar from the pit
                              of the lion's belly.

Maybe I cannot shoot my bow left,
then right-handed.*
But I am sleepy
                 or more so than
the hibernating bear.
I can sleep deepest of all.

* * * *

[Emperor Kangxi had boasted he could shoot his great carved arrow with his left and right hands.]